Project Summary:

The LAFF project is designed to improve emergent readers' skills by exposing them to new, outstanding books, toys and software as a means of developing the joy of reading. New materials and access to a professional librarian entice children to look at, read, listen to, and take books home to show parents.

1.) The eight school libraries addressed in this proposal are currently staffed by part-time minimally trained library aides and are only open on a limited basis during school hours. Project LAFF will extend library aide hours, allowing the libraries to remain open for up to 2 hours after school. Because the targeted villages are very geographically compact, no extra transportation funds need to be addressed. Travel is by snow machine, all-terrain vehicles, or by walking. Library aides, under the mentorship of the Itinerant School Library Media Specialist (ISLMS) will also increase the quality and quantity of collaboration with classroom teachers by offering instruction in literacy activities, library resource usage and information retrieval.

2.) Library materials will be updated with emphasis on picture books, easy non-fiction books, on-line resources, and software. The LAFF Project will create a Literacy Team at each site (see section C.1). Meetings will be held at the beginning of the year at each site using these team members to select appropriate emergent reader materials.

3.) The project will fund the purchase of laptop computers for student use on a ratio of 1 computer per 25 students. None of the libraries currently contain computers for student use. These computers will only be available for use when library aides are present to supervise software-based and web-based literacy activities. Examples include interactive electronic books, web-based learning sites such as Funbrain, and literacy products like Make Reading Fun, a phonics program. Library computers will also provide for up-to-date web-based resources for reference and information problem solving. One additional computer will be purchased for the ISLMS's use.

4.) Training will be provided to both the ISLMS and the library aides. The ISLMS will attend the 5-day Alaska Literacy Conference and take the UAS course ED 593, "Strategies to Inspire Learning" (see Section C5), alongside the library aides who will be taking Ed 193, of the same title. This course focuses on current brain research and approaches to teaching language and literacy processes. Library aides will also receive a three-day in-service (introductory overview of videoconference courses to be given later in year) on library skills, technology, and early childhood development. In addition, the ISLMS will provide mentorship to the library aides with on-site hands-on role modeling and guidance. Videoconference training by the LKSD Early Childhood Department will be offered throughout the year.

Project site: http://www.lksd.org